Need 2 Know: Trump Address, Barbie on the Big Screen

January 9, 2019

These are the headlines you Need 2 Know.

Trump Address: In his address to the nation last night, President Trump tried to pressure Congress into funding the border wall that he said would alleviate “a crisis of the heart and a crisis of the soul” at the southern border. In re-framing the debate as a humanitarian crisis ー he didn’t mention the wall until late in the speech ー Trump stopped short of declaring a national emergency, but made no concessions to Democrats on the wall, as the government shutdown enters day 18. Read the takeaways here.

Fact Check: Trump made several false or misleading statements in the speech, including a claim that the wall would stem the tide of illegal drugs that flow into the U.S., the vast amount of which come through legal ports of entry, according to government estimates. See [Factcheck.org] for the details. (https://www.factcheck.org/2019/01/factchecking-trumps-immigration-address/).

The Rebuttal: Rep. Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Chuck Schumer delivered a Democratic rebuttal to the president, calling on Trump to reopen the government immediately while both sides continue to negotiate on border security. "The symbol of America should be the Statue of Liberty, not a 30-foot wall,” Schumer said. Read more here.

Russia Investigation: Prosecutors have alleged that Paul Manafort, President Trump’s former campaign manager, shared polling data during the campaign with a Russian associate who has ties to the Kremlin. Manafort’s lawyers made the disclosure by accident in a court filing. Read more here.

NYC Healthcare: New York City’s 600,000 uninsured residents will be getting healthcare. The “direct comprehensive care” includes 300,000 undocumented New Yorkers, according to a spokesperson for Mayor Bill de Blasio. Those who can afford to pay will do so on a sliding scale, and those who can’t will get free coverage. Read more here.

NBC Cuts Commercials: NBC will reportedly cut commercials across its networks in primetime by 20 percent as it seeks to contend with cord-cutting and DVR viewers who fast forward through ads. The network is seeking new ways to reach viewers, like using A.I. to read show scripts and target commercials by scene. Read more here.

Sears Reprieve: Sears has been given a last-minute chance to avoid liquidation. The company’s billionaire chairman Eddie Lampert is expected to file a new takeover offer in bankruptcy court today, along with a $120 million deposit, which if approved would save the jobs of 68,000 workers and keep the 126-year-old department store in operation. Read more here.

R. Kelly: R. Kelly is reportedly under criminal investigation in Georgia following the Lifetime series Surviving R. Kelly. According to TMZ, investigators are trying to get in touch with some of the women featured in the series. Kelly’s been accused of serial sexual misconduct, which he’s denied. Read more here.

Coaching Moves: Kliff Kingsbury, one of the most sought-after college football coaches in the country, is headed to the big leagues to coach the Arizona Cardinals. Kingsburg was fired from Texas Tech after six seasons, with a record of 35-40. Read more here.

Spotted: Matt Lauer going incognito at a Florida airport, in shades and a baseball cap. See the pic here.

Barbie on the Big Screen: Margot Robbie will portray a live-action version of Barbie in an upcoming film about the iconic doll. It’s the first result of a partnership between Warner Bros. and Mattel’s new production arm, which the toy company launched after struggling with weak sales. Read more here.

Leftovers: Millions of Americans who think they have a food allergy are actually just suffering from a food “intolerance,” according to a major new study. The research, published in JAMA, estimates that fewer than 11 percent of people have legitimate food allergies, while nearly 20 percent think they do. Read more here.